Atlantis
by Tonia Barone
Summary: What if Atlantis WASN'T just a very smart city. What if she was sentient? How would she react to not only being above water again, but having people living within her walls? This is Stargate: Atlantis through the city's eyes.
1. Children

**Title:** Atlantis

**Author:** Tonia Barone

**Rating:** Teen

**Spoilers:** Overall--everything. This chapter? "Rising", "Hide and Seek" and a minor on for "Before I Sleep"

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I own them not. If I did, Radek would be my personal manservant and security blanket. huggles Radek, who just rolls his eyes and takes it as he works on a tablet

**Notes:** Many, MANY thanks to jakisbishlygay for beta'ing this. She is a gem. The way this is written, the characters names are never actually used. Instead, discriptive names of a sort are given--kinda like Native Americans used to/still do. They should be pretty self-explanitory for now, but my beta has kindly pointed out that as more and more people get named, a key of sorts will probably be needed. If you think so, please do tell me. I'd hate for folk to get confused because I have a name-title kink. shrugs and smiles

**Summary:** My Children are finally home after so very long. They have much to learn about me and my ways, but I shall teach them all I know. And protect them when they over-step their bounds...

* * *

She watched them carefully as they arrive. Through her halls they wander, weapons held at ready. There is no danger for them in her halls, however. Not at this time, that is. She has not the power to open the doors keeping those dangers at bay. She senses that they carry their own power sources and fears what they might unknowingly unlock. 

Then He arrives. She was observing the ones before him, which might be why she missed his entrance to her control center. He is A True Child. The others who come with him are so removed from her Children that she can barely Feel them. But he...he she can Feel.

None who follow are as strong to her senses as He, though there is a healer who comes close. This healer somehow Gifts others and makes it possible for her to sense them. Not with the ease she senses these two Children, but they are now more noticeable than they had been before. This makes her glad, for her halls have been silent for far too long.

One of those the Healer would Gift with the blood of her Children gives her enough power to rise from the ocean depths. This isn't the first time the Children have come Home, though it is the first time she's seen the sky since the days her Children flourished. She's careful to make sure the Old One remains safe when the young ones mistakenly cut off the wakening sequence. The Old One held information these young ones would need.

They have given her power and though she is not as alive with power as she was in days past, she is more awake now than before their arrival.

She keeps an eye on the few True Children. Besides the two strongest, there are a small handful of others. They are far weaker than even the Healer, though will still be stronger to sense than those with the Healer's Gift. She notices how the Healer is wary of her and strives to show him how she might aid his healing. He takes this aid with wary enthusiasm and she is glad. He helps to keep her new Children in good health and thus to keep her in good health, for who is she without her Children?

Her Favored Child often goes through the Doorway with three others. They sometimes leave in the small extensions of herself that they have named 'puddle jumpers', and sometimes on foot. More often than not, he and the others return wounded and this pains her. Though she has grown to care for these new Children, she cares for none other higher than her Favorite. She would--and does--grieve for the deaths of the others, but the death of this one, the one she Feels strongest, would devastate her.

As she feared, the life they bring her opens the doors on several dangers hidden in her depths. The first to be released is the Darkness. Thankfully, she was able to foresee this and reveal a protective skin to the first to receive the Healer's Gift. This particular one is close to her True Children, the Healer and her Favorite, and he is chief amongst those who have worked to awaken her. He has given life to much of her systems and even corrected errors that have occurred over the ages.

She was regretful that she locked the protective skin from being removed, especially once she saw the panic it caused him, but it was needed. Also, it was amusing watching him and her Favorite 'play'. It made her very joyful to see her Children at play. It had been far too long since laughter filled her halls. And the small ones! Having younglings running her halls was even better.

She finally cannot ignore that he must eat to live and allows the protective skin to be removed. He surprises the others—though not her, for she could tell he was far braver than others thought--when he replaces the protective skin and goes into the Darkness. He sends it through the Doorway, saving them all. The protective skin has done its purpose and now she was free of one of the more deadly dangers she held. Why her Children had insisted on locking the dangers within her walls, she would never understand. For all that the young ones adored and practically worshiped her Children, the ones they call 'Ancients' could be rather short-sighted.


	2. Settling In

**Title:** Atlantis

**Author:** Tonia Barone

**Rating:** Teen

**Spoilers**: "38 Minutes", blink and you miss it for "Duet"

**Disclaimer:** Still not mine. pouts as she watches Radek work on a laptop instead of the tablet for a change Poo.

**Notes:** Thanks to jakisbishlygay for beta.

**Summary:** I give them comfort: a safe haven to lay their heads, bathe and eat. What do they give me in return? A heart attack, if I could, when several Children get stuck in the Doorway. Why do I get the feeling that this will not be the last time trouble find my Children?

* * *

Time passed, as it does. She has watched the new Children explore her halls, seeking out her secrets. She has eased their lives as she can: providing the living quarters with light and warmth and the bathing chambers with both water and the energy-showers her former Children had preferred. She even gave those who wished it large basins in which they could submerse themselves to bathe, instead of using the showers. Unsurprisingly, most of the women chose this once they learned of it.

She learns fairly quickly that several of these Children have special needs, such as her Protector, the one whom saved them from the Darkness. So she gently eased into his mind and adjusted the firmness of the sleeping space so that he might be more comfortable. He slept very little, she found, and he needed to optimize any time spent abed as much as possible.

She watches as her Favorite Child, her Protector and four others leave through the Doorway in one of the puddle jumpers. Their leader has sent them to check on the planet they first encountered the Wraith. She has learned that her Favorite mistakenly awoke them and it is obvious to her how much he regrets it. He is looking to make up for his error.

She has no sense of them while they are away from the puddle jumper. She is not connected to what they call the 'life signs detector', not really. Not enough for her to do more than ascertain how many life signs are in the area. It does not tell her when her Favorite Child is caught in a web, nor when one of the Wraith 'bugs' attaches itself to his neck. This she learns both when they enter the puddle jumper and when the young soldier and her Protector recount the tale later to their leader.

Her link to the puddle jumper tells her when they leave the planet. They are under fire and taking damage. She sees before anyone the problem and grieves when they become lodged halfway through. If she were at full power, she could extend the time the Doorway remained open. She is not, however; she is barely at a fourth of her full strength in fact. The power sources they brought with them are strong, but not as strong as the power cells they've named 'ZPM's. They really have only given her enough power to make their stay comfortable and to give them glimpses of her true nature.

Her interest peaks when she sees the rumpled man enter another of the puddle jumpers. She has seen this one work alongside her Protector many times, and though they argue, she knows this one to be almost as knowledgeable in her ways as her Protector.

They are attempting to by-pass the commands to retract the damaged pods. She helps as she is able and though her sense of this rumpled one is as faint those not of her True Children or the Gifted, she is still able to connect with him enough to guide him. She wishes he was one of her True Children, for she senses that this one is aware of her in a way most are not. This one knows, or has an idea, of what she is capable of and respects her for it. She will make sure to help this one, this Engineer, in any way she can.

One of the thinkers has lost faith that the others could be saved. He goes to the Leader of her Children then the leader of those who call themselves 'Athosians'. This causes strife between the two groups and much tension around this thinker. Yet it is his idea that ultimately saves those in the puddle jumper. Just a contradiction, this man is.

The pods are retracted, but they are still within the Doorway. Those within the puddle jumper struggle to save her Favorite Child. A plan is made to 'blow' the back hatch of the puddle jumper. A bold move, she thinks, yet it works. They arrive, finally, and the Healer takes care of her Favorite Child. He is safely within her walls once more, whole and not permanently marked by the experience.

These new Children care for one another in a way her others hadn't, perhaps because there are so few of them. This is good, she thinks. Perhaps these Children will be able to do what the others could not: put a stop to the Wraith. Only time would tell.


	3. Love Thy Neighbor

**Title:** Atlantis

**Author:** Tonia Barone

**Rating:** Teen

**Spoilers**: Suspicion

**Disclaimer:** desperately wishes she owned them so she could force Radek, John, Carson and Rodney to do unspeakably hot things together then remembers that she's a writer and CAN force them to do unspeakably hot things together. Still doesn't mean she owns them, though. Pity, the show might have less UST and a more relaxed atmosphere

**Notes:** Thanks to jakisbishlygay for the beta.

**Summary: **The Wraith are awakening all over and what concerns my most contrary Child? Whether or not he can move. Oh, yes, also there is the small matter of the Wraith greeting them wherever they go.

* * *

There is tension building between the Athosians and one of the Children's guards. He does not trust them, especially when those who go through the Doorway keep encountering the Wraith. The Guardian continuously sends veiled—and not so veiled—suspicious looks towards the warrior woman of the Athosians and her people. The warrior woman has become a part of her Favorite Child's 'team' and is loyal to her Children. Though she can not see into the Athosians' minds as she can those of her True Children and those Gifted by the Healer, her Favorite Child trusts this woman; that is enough for her.

A moment of worry gave way to mirth when her Protector was hit with a Wraith stunner in the face just before the Doorway closed upon their return recently. Her Favorite Child and the Healer seemed to find great amusement in their friend's dilemma. What they were not aware of was that he kept asking her to do terrible, terrible things to their private quarters. She gently informed him that they only meant their teasing in jest, that they had been truly worried for his safety, and that any vengeance sought against them would result in a minor war between them. He seemed to think this an acceptable risk and insisted she do something.

She was limited in what she could do due to lack of power, but she acquired just enough that when her Favorite Child and the Healer showered that eve, their lower halves turned a rather vibrant blue. Easily hidden by their clothes, but far too embarrassing for them to mention to anyone besides each other when her Favorite Child went to the Healer for a solvent to remove the dye used. It was but a simple matter to open the connection between their radios so that her Protector could hear what was said. For all their technological advancements, they were still far behind what she could do.

Her Protector would surely have ruptured something, had he not been paralyzed by the Wraith stunner.

Shortly after the Healer states there is nothing to be done about the dye—though she assures her Protector that it will fade after several days—her Protector and the Engineer Favorite Child and the young soldier who has become his Second discover the sky door of the jumper bay. Times such as these she wishes she could show them all they have overlooked either because of lack of power, or because of lack of knowledge.

One of those things she would have shown them was the landmass that lay across the vast ocean on which she lay. They find it soon enough and it doesn't take long for the Athosians to request relocation to its shores. It does not take long before only her Favorite Child's people are once again the lone inhabitants. Only the Athosian woman who has joined the primary exploration team remains.

Another journey through the Doorway results in yet another Wraith ambush. The young one and the woman are left behind. Some time later, when they are able to return, the Guardian immediately arrests the woman for questioning while her Protector discovers the true culprit: the woman's necklace. It was a Wraith tracking device. She wonders how she missed it and blames the lack of power to the more sensitive scanners.

She's not certain she likes the pattern she is detecting here.

They plan an ambush for the Wraith on a planet of their choosing. It is a bold move, but ultimately a wise one. They kill two and capture another. It rankles to have one of those abominations within her walls, but she can see what her Favorite Child is hoping to accomplish. It is something that her former Children would not have ever considered.

Though the immediate threat has been neutralized, the Guardian does not apologize for his prior actions, nor should he. He was protecting his people and that is no crime. She can see that there will be much tension between the Guardian and this Athosian woman, the female Warrior, in the future.

She can only hope that they do not bring her down on themselves in the process. Perhaps she should suggest possible, stress-releasing solutions to her Favorite Child and her Protector? She would have to ponder that for a time. At the very least the though would amuse her Favorite Child.


	4. Sanctuary

**Title:** Atlantis

**Author:** Tonia Barone

**Rating:** Teen

**Spoilers**: Childhood's End and an EXTREMELY blink-and-you-miss-it one for Brotherhood

**Disclaimer:** If I owned them, do you REALLY think that John would'a jumped Chaya? Or Rodney that chic from "Brotherhood"? Or Carson Perna? rolls eyes Of COURSE not; they'd SO be doing each other! Duh.

**Notes:** Thanks to jakisbishlygay for the beta. I don't know what I'd do without her.

**Summary: **Children are notoriously short-sighted. There is a reason I call these adults 'Children': this is it.

* * *

Everyone has settled, finally. To see people wander her halls every day is a small miracle to her. She never realized how lonely her millennia-long sleep had been until now. Time sees the thinkers slowly spreading out through the laboratories, some in groups and some alone. Her Protector and his companion, the Engineer, have taken up residence in one of the larger laboratories and they are visited daily by her Favorite Child. He seems to have adopted these two thinkers as his own to protect and care for. Perhaps this is because he, himself, is a thinker at heart.

That is not her secret to tell, but if her Protector knew...

After a time, her Favorite leads his team through the Doorway in a puddle jumper. They are going to a planet Sanctuary, though she could not tell them this, again because of power issues. She is beginning to wish they would hurry and retrieve even one of the power cells for her use. Even one would be better than those weaker power sources, even if they do use the ore of the Doorway.

Her extension on the puddle jumper suddenly severs and she is left blind to them. If only she were at full power, then she could connect to the power cell unit that is most likely the source of the electro-magnetic shield that has blinded her. Then she realizes that the shield is not quite as extended as it should have been. Power drain might have caused descendants to restrict the radius.

Whatever the reason, she is unseeing for some time. When her sight is returned, she reaches for her Children, but sadly the most she can sense is that they are away from the puddle jumper and have been for some time. The life signs detector is miss from it's housing, but that is to be expected if they left the puddle jumper.

She waits impatiently for their return and is surprised with what they carry when they arrive. Her Protector is ecstatic and the reason for this is the power cell in his arms. Though not connected to it at the moment, she can still sense that it is only half-powered. That would not be enough for her to raise the shields, should they be under attack, but it might be enough to awaken a few more of her systems.

Then she hears how and where they found it and curses their foolishness. Children! Oh, if she were at even half her full power she would give them--'them' being her Favorite Child and her Protector, of _course—_a shock they'd not be likely to forget. There is a _reason_ this is a Sanctuary. Thankfully, the Leader agrees and chastises them thoroughly for their actions.

She watches, satisfied, as her Favorite Child and her Protector troop back through the Doorway to restore the power cell to its rightful place. She is prepared this time when her extension through the puddle jumper is blinded. When they return, it is in high spirits; it would appear that the younglings occupying this Sanctuary were neither aware of the shield nor its restrictions. Her Protector increased the radius of the shield so that the younglings could grow, but not before a Wraith probe had arrived. Hopefully the Wraith will take its sudden deactivation as a sign that the planet is not a worthy food source.

Speaking of Wraith...

While the shielded cell they are using to house the Wraith they captured is well enough to keep him prisoner, it is not enough to silence the Wraith telepathic network. The Children obviously aren't aware of its existence, or they also would have activated the mind-shield. It takes little of the already sparse power to activate the mind-shield and interweave it with the physical shield. Now the Wraith will not be able to communicate with the Hive.

If the former Children, the Ancients, would never have captured a Wraith, why does she have mind-shields? In the days before the Great Siege when they were still trying to negotiate with the Wraith, several darts scanned her. Before she could act, the darts self-destructed. It took them several days to realize what had happened and find the Wraith. In that time the Wraith had managed to communicate her defenses to the Hive. She and her Children created the mind-shield, but by the damage had been done; it was shortly thereafter that the Great Siege began.

Perhaps events will play out differently this time. As her Favorite Child prepares himself for what he plans to do, she also makes plans. For who else will give comfort to him in the quiet hours of the night once this is done?


	5. Caring For Others

**Title:** Atlantis

**Author:** Tonia Barone

**Rating:** Teen

**Spoilers**: Poisoning the Well

**Disclaimer:** slumped in her seat, chin on a fist as she watches Carson and Radek, and John and Rodney "play" If I owned them, this would be canon. sighs heavily

**Notes:** Thanks to jakisbishlygay for the beta.

**Summary: **The Healer cares for the Children. The Engineer cares for me. I care for the Healer.

* * *

Her Favorite Child and his team left through the Doorway a short while ago. She always felt diminished when he was gone. She was certain the Engineer had noticed, even if no one else had. He paid such attention to her and her ways and was always extra attentive during the times her Favorite Child was gone.

One of the thinkers had made note once of how her lights seemed a little more dim than before, shortly after her Favorite Child had gone through the Doorway. Always aware of her, the Engineer had made careful notes when this occurred several more times. After the fifth time, she was pleasantly surprised when he began singing softly in his native tongue. No one else was around the first time he did this and it took until the third time for her to realize he was singing to her.

No one else seemed to understand what he sang, herself included, but she could sense his intentions clearly and was comforted. These were the times she so desperately wished he was one of her True Children, or even one of the Healer's Gifted. For all she loved her Protector, he was almost cold to her and her ways. He saw her as a simple machine, to be used as her programs dictated; most of the Children saw her this way. Her Favorite Child had suspicions about her true self, she knew, but he never spoke of them to the others.

No, the Engineer was alone in his regard for her and she was glad. She would have to see if it was possible to divert enough power to show him where headset her former Children used to communicate with her was. Oh, yes, there was such a device; that, along with an implant, had allowed her to interact with her Children since her birth. Usually one person was deemed the Liaison between herself and the others and it was a life-long post. In the final months of their life, the Liaison would train their replacement and upon their death, the new Liaison would be implanted, given the headset and take over the duties of their predecessor.

At full power, she could communicate with her Liaison anywhere in the galaxy thanks to a transmitter in the implant. That is not to say that her Liaison left her walls often, but sometimes it was needed to repair or build the many Sanctuaries and Outposts her former Children insisted on building.

The Doorway opened just then and she brightened, literally. Her Favorite Child was home. Though not for long, it would see. The people of the planet they had went to were developing a serum to combat the Wraith, but had no test subject or the knowledge to finish it. They required the Healer and the Wraith her Favorite Child had captured. Finally, that filth would be leaving her walls!

She is unsure that they will succeed, for this was one of the solutions her former Children _had_ tried and they, for all their wisdom, were not successful. But, as she has noted previously, perhaps these younger Children could accomplish what their predecessors could not. They could only hope.

She keeps watch over the Engineer as he wanders her halls, partly to keep him safe and partly to while away the hours until her Favorite Child returns with news. She saw the laboratory he was heading towards and lit the way. He wasn't paying much attention to where he was going, so lost in thought he was. She wished she had a more human form so she could smile. Just as she wished she could smile, he briefly caressed her walls in thanks.

When he thanked her, she shifted the power she had used for the lights in that entire wing—which was more or less empty, this close to dinner—to use one of the screens for a message. Knowing that the Engineer wasn't as proficient in her native language, she used one he was familiar with: the language preferred by the new Children. The look of surprise and awe quickly shifted to a pleased smile and she was glad. She wouldn't be able to do that often—it took a bit more power than was normally available—but just this once was worth it.

The Engineer was deep in his work when her Favorite Child came home. Of course he noticed when the lights brightened and began to save his work. She keeps one eye on him as he transverses her corridors to the control tower while another was intent on her Children.

The Healer was heartbroken and she ached to lift his pain. The experimental serum killed a full half of those who took it and despite the Healer's warnings otherwise, the people of the planet thought it a worthy risk to be unpalatable to the Wraith. This went against all he was taught as a healer and, personally, she agreed with him. Life was precious and should not be trifled with in such a manner.

While her Favorite Child, her Protector, the Second and the Warrior recounted what happened on the planet to their Leader, the Healer left to his quarters. He needed time to come to terms with what happened and she was determined to aide him in any way she could. This included sealing his rooms off once he was inside. He needed time to mourn and the last thing he needed was to cater to others. It was a simple matter to silence the door chimes and to lock the door against all entry. It could not remain thus for more than a few hours or the others would begin to worry and take drastic measures, but for now it was all she could do.

They brought the Wraith back into her walls, though it lived no more. She could sense the Healer had plans for the body she would aide him in any way she could. The Wraith had been loose in this galaxy for far too long and if anything could be gleaned from the autopsy he planned to perform, all the better. Her former Children would never consider such an invasive procedure, even if they had ever had a dead Wraith for study. She just hoped it would pan out.


	6. Interlude: Radek

**Title:** Atlantis

**Author:** Tonia Barone

**Rating:** Teen

**Spoilers**: Minor ones for Rising, Hot Zone, MAYBE a teensy one for Duet. If you can find it. winks and grins

**Disclaimer:** So not mine it isn't funny. looks on the brink of tears at this horrible fact

**Notes:** Also, this is the first official appearance of SLASH in this series! gasp shock You've been warned. rolls eyes and mutters Don't see why, though. 'Round here you get more warnings for het than slash...

This takes place during chapter 5, BTW. You can probably tell where.

This is also my first try, really, at writing Rodney, John and Radek so sorry if they're a little OOC. Don't think they ARE, but if so...shrugs

Thanks, as always, to jakisbishlygay for beta.

**Summary: **Radek knows Atlantis is alive, but he wasn't about to tell anyone.

* * *

Radek spared a moment to look upward when the lights dimmed. It wasn't much, and really not so noticeable, but a few of the other scientists had noticed it only happened when the Stargate opened. It was first thought to be a power drain, but when they allotted more power to the gate, nothing happened. Nothing in the sense that there was no difference—the lights still dimmed.

The others gave it up as a fluke of the city, but Radek had wondered. He made certain that he was in the control tower the next few times teams were sent through the Stargate and made an interesting discovery: the lights only dimmed when Major Sheppard and his team left. It didn't take a genius to figure out why and he wondered how he, or anyone, could have failed to see the connection.

Of course he didn't tell Rodney. For one, Rodney would throw a fit about how the city favored the Major and likely be a bore for weeks afterwards. For another, Rodney would undoubtedly whine and complain about how _he_ wasn't the one to discovery the cause for the lights dimming. It would cause more trouble than it was worth to tell him, and besides, it would rankle Rodney to no end when he began to look smug in the labs and Rodney had no idea why. Let Rodney figure it out on his own.

There was another thing he'd noticed about the city: it was alive. Not breathing like they were, but it was alive all the same. After everyone was settled, he thought about how the city had lit up for them upon their arrival or how the city had collapsed the shielding in the uninhabited areas first, before they raised it. Motion detectors and the like, yes, quite possible, but not the answer, he thought. It was the little things that made him think the city was alive.

When they first settled into their quarters, they found that they didn't need to do anything other than move in; the lights and water were already taken care of. Something he considered to be very peculiar for a city that has been sleeping for over ten thousand years. Surely the Ancients would have turned off all non-essential systems?

The next day he'd been eating in the large dining hall they'd found when he heard several of the other scientists talk about how their beds were perfect. This wouldn't be quite so odd if it weren't for the fact that no less than four people commented on their beds being either "just like the feather mattress grandma had" or "hard as a rock—perfect for my bad back." It seemed like too much of a coincidence that these people would just happen to find rooms that contained beds to their exact preferences.

Radek began to sing softly in his native language. The other scientists hadn't commented on it as of yet, if they even noticed. Not that he cared; he sang for her, Atlantis. She was obviously sad because the Major was off-world and his mother would sing to him when he was sad so he sang. It hurt no one and the city _did_ seem to brighten just a shade when he did.

So, yes, he was quite certain the city was alive and he suspected that Major Sheppard knew it, too. It was in the way that the Major would lovingly stroke the walls on occasion as he passed or how he dropped by the labs regularly to see what else they had discovered.

/Though, admittedly, that last was more likely to be about checking on Rodney than the city/ Radek thought. He, at least, had noticed how the Major was around Rodney and vise versa. It didn't bother him, as it might some of the Major's men, but then again all Radek cared for were the city, and her wonders, and keeping them all alive. The fact that the Major and Rodney fancied each other was insignificant by comparison.

He did wish that the ATA gene therapy had worked on him. It would be nice to not have to wait for others to activate whichever device he was working on at the moment. Also, he was curious about something he had heard Rodney and the Major discussing once.

Shortly after Rodney had, surprisingly, saved them from the shadow-entity, he had made mention that he could hear a faint whisper in his head sometimes. That it even, on occasion, seemed to guide him as he worked on the Ancient technology.

Rodney had asked the Major if he heard it too, and the Major had said, "Yeah, I do, except it's not a whisper; it's..." The Major's voice took on an awed quality as he continued, "...it's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. Calming and reassuring and curious and grateful..." He seemed to come back to himself and said in a gruff voice, "Not that I've told anyone—and neither will you!"

"B-but why! This could help us in ways too numerous to mention. I wonder if Carson hears it, too." Rodney asked thoughtfully, completely forgetting about the Major for the moment.

The Major sighed, "I don't know, but probably so since he has the gene, too. Listen, McKay, don't go bothering him about it; he's freaked out about Ancient technology as it is."

Rodney was quiet for a few moments before he finally rolled his eyes. "Oh, fine. I'll let what could possibly be the most important discovery about Atlantis go. Who cares if this means we'll probably never understand some of their technology. Wouldn't want to make Carson uncomfortable, now would we?"

"Exactly," said the Major, grinning the way he did when he won an argument against McKay or Dr. Weir. His 'I'm cute and charming and don't you just want to give me your first born pretty please?' grin.

Since then, Radek had decided to work under the assumption that Atlantis was, in fact, sentient hence his singing. At first he only did it when he was alone, worried what the others might think. When he realized that most of the others thought he was rather eccentric, if a lot more likable than McKay, then he sang wherever he was, whether he was alone or not. No one commented on it, not really, but a few of the more superstitious scientists noted that the lights seemed to brighten just a touch when he sang and that, as they say, was that.

Radek needed to check on something in one of the new labs they'd found. It was a bit off from where the other labs were, but they had found some devices that looked like they might help both the medical and hydroponics departments. Personally, he thought it was used to process herbs for medicinal purposes, but not everyone agreed with him.

As he walked, the lights a few yards ahead would turn on; Atlantis lighting his way, a romantic might say. He reached out to touch the wall beside him in thanks and was amused when the lights blinked in response. Yes, Atlantis _was_ alive and for whatever reason she seemed to have chosen him to gift her attention on.

When he finally made it to the lab, he wasn't surprised to find the lights on, waiting for him. He looked towards the ceiling and smiled. "Thank you, Atlantis."

The lights dimmed considerably when a panel nearby lit up and text scrolled across it. Curious, he stepped up to the panel and quickly read the text, surprised it wasn't in Ancient, but in English.

_You are welcome, Engineer. _


	7. Subterfuge

**Title:** Atlantis

**Author:** Tonia Barone

**Rating:** Teen

**Spoilers**: Underground, Before I Sleep, Defiant One, The Siege, Trinity

**Disclaimer:** SO not mine. pouts over this fact

**Notes:** Thanks to jakisbishlygay for the beta. rolls eyes A VERY BIG thank you because there were parts of this I either read wrong in the summary or remembered wrong or something and she caught the huge continuity error it provided. So thank you muchly, jakisbishlygay.

**Summary: **I really wish I could feed my Children. If I could, then they would not run into such problems as psychotic natives hellbent on destroying the Wraith, my Children and themselves.

* * *

She watches the Children worry over their food supply and wishes she could show them to the stores of seeds, starters and the special growth formula that would have them ready within weeks, not months. With a population the size she was created to hold, have they not wondered at the small number of hydroponics bays she holds?

There is also some food stored in stasis chambers in the as-of-yet unexplored halls. Her ever-curious Child, the one who created the time device, had made certain enough food was left behind for the Old One. The stasis chamber couldn't sustain her alone and during the brief times she awoke, she would need to eat. The Time Child over-estimated the amount she would need to sustain her, so there is much left.

If only she had the power to show them, but if she created a message for them such as she had done for the Engineer, they would likely debate it and pour over the probabilities of her intelligence for weeks rather than gather the necessary food. And even if they didn't, even if the Engineer spoke up about the message she gave him, her Protector would become insufferable to all those around him. He would pout and whine about not being the one whom she had communicated with first, despite him having 'the gene'. Never mind the fact that she speaks to him every day through that very link. The Engineer doesn't have that Gift or the natural connection the Healer and her Favorite Child has.

The Warrior tells them of a people the Athosians have traded with in times past. That is enough endorsement for the Leader to grant a team to seek trade with them. Her Favorite and his usual three companions leave in a puddle jumper and the Doorway closes. The people are simple, yet there is something about them. The Children are too focused on trade to notice at the moment, but she senses something odd under the village.

She could do nothing but wait once her Children left the puddle jumper. Her Favorite Child and her Protector returned to the puddle jumper after a time, returning to her halls to discuss a trade with the people of the planet, the Genii. They were willing to trade food for medicine and an explosive element her Children used they called 'C-4'. The Leader is very reluctant to agree to such terms, but they need food badly so she agrees.

Back through the Doorway her two Children go and once more she gets an odd sense about the village. Something lurks there that is unsettling, though she cannot say what. She waits while her Favorite Child and her Protector wander off. She wishes she could go with them, watch over and protect them. These two are very dear to her and they seem to have an unfortunate habit of getting into trouble; they are much like younglings in that aspect.

After a worryingly long time, all four Children return to her. Her Favorite Child and her Protector seem to be in especially good spirits. Oh dear, they seem to have found more trouble, for why else would they look so cheerful? She almost wishes she could tag them with a tracking device and be able to teleport them out of the danger that inevitably follows the trouble they find.

They tell the Leader of a plan the Genii have to use nuclear bombs on the sleeping Wraith Hive ships. All that is needed is the C-4 her Children possess. The Leader is set against it; it is far too dangerous a plan and she, Atlantis, agrees. Her Favorite Child and his Second plead their case, however, and the Leader eventually assents.

Thankfully, her Favorite Child is not a complete idiot and has two other puddle jumpers follow his under cloak; it is a task she does gladly. She waits with the two groups of Children in the cloaked puddle jumpers while her Favorite Child and his team follow several Genii through the Doorway to a world where a Wraith Hive ship sleeps. She hopes all goes well, because the Genii amassing below the puddle jumpers are disturbing.

At last her Favorite Child's team returns with the Genii. No, wait, one Genii is missing. A young Genii woman waiting asks what happened then blames the Warrior when they explain that there was nothing to be done. They are then betrayed by the Genii, who want the data source the team found on the Hive ship. At her Favorite Child's word, she gleefully reveals the two puddle jumpers and watches as he takes the data source back from the Genii. He gives the order and they soon make haste through the Doorway and once more all the Children are home.

The Genii, she feels, will not let this go so easily and she hopes her Children are prepared when the time comes. On a more positive note, the data source tells her Children of the sixty or so Hive ships the Wraith have; a much lower number than the time the Ancients resided in her walls. They may have been peaceful by nature, but her former Children created a great many offensive devices. A few of those still remain, she is certain. She knows of at least one of the defense satellites that survived the Great Siege intact, if not functioning. It's final battle ended by mutually crippling blows to it and the Wraith Hive ship it was fighting. The Hive ship, to her knowledge, is still on the planet near the satellite.

There are also the attack drones that remain in their bays below the chair interface she possesses, if only there was power to use them, and Project Arcturus is still intact...

No, she thinks, that is not an option. Her former Children _died_ trying to get that machine to work, yet she knows her Protector by now. If he finds out about it, he will undoubtedly want to make it work. The Ancients worked on it for almost a decade before they finally gave up; before they were _forced_ to give up. Then the Wraith destroyed all life on the planet. Well, what life the machine hadn't already destroyed.

With this in mind, she works to hide all of the files she has on Project Arcturus. She doesn't delete them on the off-chance that the Children find it. If they _do_ find it, they will need the information she has on it. No, she will hide it so that it might never be found by anything other than a direct search looking specifically for it.

Please, she pleads to her former Children, please don't let them find it.


	8. TLC

**Title:** Atlantis

**Author:** Tonia Barone

**Rating:** Teen

**Spoilers**: Home, 38 Minutes

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, wish they were.

**Notes:** Thanks, as always, to jakisbishlygay for beta'ing and a BIG thank you for those who've reviewed. You guys are, like, wow. Thank you so much.

Also, I should warn you that this is the last pre-written chapter I have. I'm about 3/4 through with chapter 8, then a few days at the beta (it's a loong chapter. Might even be split into two or three parts, haven't decided yet) and then right here on yer doorstep!

**Summary: **Home is where the heart is. That is a saying I picked up from one of my Children. If this is true, my home is already here. My question now is this: where are my Children's home?

* * *

Her Favorite Child and his team leave through the Doorway to a planet that she cannot remember her former Children visiting for many years. Last contact with the people of that world had brought word that they were nearing a state of higher being. It was, in fact, what lead to the research her Children were doing for their own Ascension. But no one has contacted her or her Children from that world since, so she could not tell them what to expect.

The device they call a 'MALP' sent back information concerning the world. It had a power source, which they needed, but it could not be pin-pointed nor could she add her own scans to the search. She did remember the people of that world being roughly on the same technological level as her Children, however, which could aide these new Children greatly.

The Children return through the Doorway and her Protector explains that the power source is a mist that seems to blanket the planet. He wishes to bring the power crystal from her Doorway to that world so that they may call to their world, Earth. Something about this doesn't sound right to her, though. The Doorway on that world had previously been in a plaza of the central city, yet her Protector said nothing of constructs.

The Leader assents and returns to the planet with her Favorite Child and his team, taking the crystal with them. She has a bad feeling about this, but no way to communicate her feelings or would there be anyone who would believe her save the Engineer.

As the hours pass, she frets to the point that not even the Engineer's singing can calm her. She knows this has put the other Children on edge; how could it not; when the lights are dimmer than what is even usual during the time her Favorite Child is not with her? When the text scrolling down the screens in the control tower move faster than the thinkers who care for her can translate? Her very walls seem to vibrate to them and they are unsettled, for she is on the ocean and therefore not prone to earthquakes.

Even the thinker for whom her Favorite Child and her Protector hold barely repressed contempt tries to calm her. She, herself, is uncertain how she feels for this particular thinker. He purposefully looks for flaws in others, yet it was he who had the idea on how to save her Favorite Child and his team when they were lodged in the Doorway all those months ago. Well, yes, he did prematurely inform the Athosians of their Warrior's death, but he could probably be forgiven for that slight.

She finally settles for spending time guiding the Healer to some of her more useful medical equipment. While what they brought with them is indeed advanced, she has several items that are much more efficient. If he realizes that she is the one guiding him to these semi-hidden caches, he does not let on, but she can Feel his thanks all the same. Some of the 'new' equipment will even aid him in his genetic research, something he has spent less time on lately than he would have liked. She hopes the machines will help.

After many hours the Doorway finally blooms to life and her wayward Children return. Something must have gone wrong because they all look dispirited. Looking into the minds of her Favorite Child and her Protector makes her want to cry. It would seem that the people of that world _had_ achieved Ascension, after a fashion. They feared her Children's intentions and created an illusion that they had gone to Earth. The illusion for each was 'off' just enough for each of them to tell it wasn't real. After promising never to return, the Ascended of that world allowed them to return to her.

After the debriefing each goes their own way. The least affected is the Warrior, but even she feels sorrow for the pain this has caused her friends.

The Leader immediately returns to her duties; she is the Leader and as such cannot afford the breakdown she wishes. Her time is not her own, so she must wait before she can grieve.

Her Favorite Child's Second often appears to be the youngest, and though it is true that he is amongst the physically youngest, he is not as naive as they think. He has recently been given the Healer's Gift and as such is now open to her. He weeps over not having the chance to see his grandparents after all. He misses them greatly and there are times he wishes he had never come. Then he thinks of all that they have discovered and his regret fades. He still misses his grandparents, though.

Her Protector returns to the haven of his labs. The Engineer takes one look at him and understands enough to not say anything. Instead, he gives her Protector a report of what has occurred in his absence. Her Protector all but leaps at the chance to push recent events from his mind and is quickly lost in his work. Later, he will cry himself into a fitful sleep while holding a picture of his cat, the one thing he misses most about Earth. Perhaps she could show him a world where similar felines live and are kept in such a manner.

Her Favorite Child goes to get a report from the Guardian before retiring to his rooms. Once there he asks that she lock the door and deflect any visitors, a request she readily comply with. Once she informs him it is done, he immediately begins to destroy his rooms. He throws chairs and little trinkets he's collected over the course of his stay. He flips the sleeping pad from the bed and hurls the pillows at the walls. He has enough presence of mind not to destroy his personal computer, but only just. He finally settles for punching repeatedly at the wall furthest from the door until his knuckles bleed and several bones break.

She gently whispers to his mind, calming him enough to stop him from further self-harm. He allows a lone tear while his breathing calms and his heart rate returns to normal. Nearly half an hour after calming she is able to convince him to see the Healer about his hand. She unlocks the door and remains with him as the bones in his hand are set and his hands bandaged.

She warns the Healer against saying anything about it and he understands enough to heed her. He tells her Favorite Child to take a few days off to allow his hands to heal then sends him on his way. The Healer hurts for his friends and she assures him that she will watch over them carefully in the following days.

She will make sure that her Protector doesn't work himself overly much and that her Favorite Child does no more harm to himself. She will comfort the young Second and work hard at self-maintenance so that the Leader has less to worry about. There is not much she can do for the Warrior, but she will make certain that her rooms are peaceful and that her meditations are not disturbed.

Her Favorite Child spends much of the days he's forced from work in his rooms. Sometimes he reads the book he brought, sometimes he works on reports that have been collecting while he's been away. And sometimes, just sometimes mind, he opens himself to her and it is those times she likes best.

They learn much of each other during those days as she regales him with tales of days past. She gives him tips on how he can better control the puddle jumpers and he shares with her the joys of flying without inertial dampeners. She promises to allow him to, if not turn them off then at least turn them down some and shows him how to summon the chair restraints for when he does this.

And when he goes to the Healer to remove the bandages and is told he may return to his duties, he is in better spirits. His heart is not healed, but it is on the mend. They are much closer that they were previously as he has left himself open to her. She whispers to him when he is sent with a small group to explore her halls and he asks questions about the pieces of her that her Protector insists he 'turn on'. When he finally goes through the Doorway again, he stays connected to her through the puddle jumper or through the life-signs detector after showing him how to calibrate it properly.

She takes care of all her new Children, but she will always give her Favorite Child a little extra care and comfort. He is precious to her and will do anything and everything to keep him well, physically or mentally.


	9. Interlude 2: Radek and Rodney

**Title:** Atlantis

**Author:** Tonia Barone

**Rating:** Teen

**Spoilers**: The Storm and a minor one for Poisoning the Well, possibly

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, mores the pity.

**Notes:** Major thanks to jakisbishlygay for the beta work. A lot of the dialogue in this is from the episode, making it not mine. Fair warning.

**Summary: **Of brainstorms, hurricanes and excited thinkers.

* * *

Radek absently nibbled on his thumbnail as he worked. They had little time before the storm arrived and they had yet to find a way to save the city. The so-called brainstorm meeting earlier had done nothing but aggravate McKay bring home the fact that this storm was impossible to avoid. This was bad. This was very, very bad. He was at a loss for what to do for the city. He felt like he was letting her down. The city had been so kind to them over their time there and seemed to especially have taken a shine to him. Pity he didn't have the gene so he could talk to Atlantis, she might have some ideas.

Pushing away from the desk, he stood and walked over to where McKay was working. "Anything?"

Rodney rolled his eyes, not even bothering to look up from his laptop. "Does it _look_ like I have anything? Trust me, you'll be the first know if I find a way to save our collective ass."

Muttering implausible things for Rodney to do in Czech, Radek wished again that they had enough power for Atlantis to communicate with them. Ever since the time she'd shown him the text message, he'd been looking for ways to divert enough power for her to use in his spare time.

He freely admits that he has probably developed a disturbing attachment to the city, but she intrigues him. There's so much that she could show them, if only they had the power to do so. He really wishes there was a way to harness the power of the storm, perhaps using windmills as Major Sheppard suggested. Not that windmills would probably work; what did he know of hurricanes? He was from the Czech Republic, which was a good ways inland from any major body of water.

"You know, in the Czech Republic we don't have to deal with hurricanes," Radek commented. It was something he was very glad about, too. Why anyone would want to live in places where these occurred so often was beyond his understanding.

Rodney, of course, had to add his two cents. "Well we don't get that many in Canada, either." Ignoring Radek's sigh, he continued, "Unless they were called Hazel."

"Hazel?" Radek looked up from the PDA he was working on in lieu of a laptop.

"Hm. Forty years ago."

"That's interesting." There was something about this discussion that was poking at his mind. If only he could just grasp it…

"Not really." And so McKay kept typing. Radek wasn't even sure what he was working on any more. It could have been too interesting or Rodney would have snapped for him to be quiet. Never mind the fact that Radek himself could multi-task just as well as McKay. It was the principle of the thing.

"No, not really." Straightening from where he was leaning against a table, Radek put a hand on his hip, thinking. The poking in his mind was increasing in intensity. It was very annoying, yet at the same time it was almost soothing. Those weren't feelings that generally went together but there it was. If he didn't know it was impossible, he would almost think it was Atlantis trying to tell him something.

"I was once almost struck by lightning," Rodney said idly and suddenly Radek had it.

The constant poking, the pushing in his mind cleared. "Lightning?" /That's it/

Radek turned to find Rodney on the same page. The other man was rising, his chair rolling backwards and a look on his face that clearly said they were idiots for not thinking of it before.

"Come on, we need to tell Elizabeth," Rodney said as he started for the door, not waiting for Radek to follow. "There's gotta be lightning rods all over the city, right?"

Of course there are. Even the ones you call the Ancients didn't have enough power for me to keep the shield up constantly.

Rodney stopped in his tracks at the voice in his head. It was so beautiful, just like Major Sheppard had said. He'd never heard it before, but he knew this had to be Atlantis. /W-Why now/

He could hear her amusement and exasperation and could even imagine she was rolling her eyes at him. Because, Protector, you have never before opened yourself to me.

/Protector? Open myself? Wha--/ Rodney was beyond confused. Why did she call him 'Protector' and what was she talking about 'opening himself' to her?

"McKay?" Radek was looking at him worriedly so he raised a hand to signal him to be quiet for a minute.

"Quiet." /So you could always talk to me like this? Is this what Major Sheppard was talking about? Wow. / He could feel the grin creeping up on his face. This was _way_ beyond cool.

Focus, Protector. I shall answer your questions later. Right now I need you to explain to the Leader about the lightning rods. The Engineer was right: if you could harness the power behind the lightning, you could give me enough power to activate the shield and protect us from the storm.

Rodney had already resumed his march to the control tower when he nodded, barely noticing Zelenka following behind him. "Right, right!" He glanced back at his fellow scientist. "If we can get enough power from the lightning, channel it into the generators maybe, we might be able to get enough to use the shield."

Radek nodded excitedly. "Yes, yes, but wouldn't the city have some means of grounding the lightning strikes? The presence of the lightning rods must mean that the shield wasn't always in use during the storms."

"At least not when it first started or when it was ending because the weather would _obviously_ be less severe. Or maybe there are less powerful storm systems that pass by."

The halls act as conduits for the extra power the lightning strikes give. Also, there are four grounding stations: two are at the tips of the north and northwest piers while two more are where the southwest and southeast piers meet the south pier. They require a code to unlock and once that is done the only safe place for those who remain would be the central tower near the control room and the Doorway.

"Doorway?" It took Rodney a few seconds to realize A) she meant the Stargate and B) he'd said that aloud. Now Radek was looking at him funny, almost like pieces of a puzzle were coming together in his head. Rodney wished he'd share with the rest of the class and a few moments later he got his wish.

"She's talking to you?" Radek looked like someone had just told him they'd found a cache of ZPM's in the basement. "You can actually _hear_ her? What's she sound like? Does she know what we need to do? What has she _said_? Does she have any ideas about how to use the naquada generators more efficiently? She's actually _talking to you_!" He was _not_ jumping up and down like a giddy school girl about to meet Brad Pitt.

Okay, now Radek was getting ridiculous, and not a little scary. "Yes, yes, I can hear her and _yes_ she's talking to me." Then he realized what that implied and turned an accusing look on his colleague. "How did _you_ know about her?"

No way was Radek Zelenka, one of the smartest people in the city and the foremost engineer—after himself, of course—_blushing_. "I-I...um...that is to say...I _might_ have had a...an _encounter_ a few months ago. Just a minor one, really," Radek added when he saw the murderous look Rodney was giving him.

Rodney was just about to tear Zelenka a new one when Atlantis spoke up.

Protector, leave him be. All I did was show him a message on a nearby screen. If you remember, there were reports of a brief power drain in the wing he was working during the days you were with the Healer on Hoff. That was my doing, my wishing to convey my appreciation for his efforts in helping to revive my systems and in helping to protect you and the other Children.

/Fine, but I still don't get why you showed him even that and not, say, me. / Rodney wasn't pouting, but it was a near thing. Turning to Radek, he stabbed a finger in the shorter man's chest. "We _are_ going to talk about this later."

"Yes, yes, fine, can we please continue now to Dr. Weir? I'm sure she would love to hear the good news." That said, Radek continued on to the control tower, jogging up the stairs with Rodney on his heels.

Rodney couldn't wait until this was all over when he could grill both Radek and Atlantis, but for now he had bigger things to worry about. Coming up alongside Radek as he reached Elizabeth, he asked, "What is the _one_ thing keeping us from having shield?"


	10. Part 1: The Coming Storms

**Title:** Atlantis

**Author:** Tonia Barone

**Rating:** Teen

**Spoilers**: The Storm and a small one for Underground, but only in the sense that you know who the Genii are

**Disclaimer:** +sighs sadly+ If they were, we'd be seeing more of geek!Shep. Since they are not, however, we will likely never see geek!Shep again.

**Notes:** MEGA-big thanks to jakisbishlygay for beta'ing this. Thankyouthankyouthankyou! Also thanks for the patience. While the first seven were written in about 4 days, this sucker took over 2 weeks. Ugh. Here it is, hope it's worth the wait. Oh yeah. This is gonna be split into 4 parts cause it's so long. I know, I know. Some of you are probably gonna lynch me, but the places were too good to pass up and it was simply getting too long to handle. I'll post the other parts either later today or tomorrow some time. +go hides behind Radek+ Please don't kill me?

**Summary: **Danger comes at my Children from all sides and I am powerless to protect them.

* * *

The storm season has come and there is naught she can to do warn them. The storms have never been a problem in times past because of the shield she would erect to protect her Children and herself. This time, however, she does not enough power for the shield. It is sheer luck that her Favorite Child goes up in the puddle jumper with the Warrior in the hours before the storm would come. 

The thinkers gather to pore over the situation, but none come close to the answer she wishes to give them. After a while all save her Protector and the Engineer leave and they start a discussion on hurricanes in their respective homelands. Now is the time she most wishes the Engineer could hear her. She nudges him as much as she can and rejoices when he finally gets it.

As they leave for the control tower, her Protector asked a question—probably meant to be rhetorical—and he had opened himself up just enough for her to slip in enough to answer. This seemed to shock him, something that amused her greatly. He knew she had the ability to communicate mentally with those in possession of what they called the ATA gene.

The Engineer tried to get his attention, but her Protector silenced him and continued to interrogate her. It wasn't long before he slipped and asked her a question aloud. The Engineer is far from stupid and was quick to pick up on the fact her Protector was speaking with her. She watched as the often quiet Engineer began to bounce in place, looking very excited as he fired questions of his own at her Protector. And then _he_ slipped and it was her Protector's turn to pounce.

When her Protector discovered that she'd already communicated to the Engineer before himself, he began what would most likely turn into a spectacular tantrum. She quickly forestalled him by explaining what had occurred. After another pointed look to the Engineer, her Protector allowed them to resume their march to the control tower.

The Leader is as amused as she is by the back-and-forth way the two thinkers speak as they explain what must be done in order to power the shields. The two of them really work well off each other. It's good that her Protector has someone he's comfortable with besides her Favorite Child and the Healer.

Another puddle jumper returned to her, the Athosians and her Children spilling out. There was still one puddle jumper on the mainland, however, and that one held the Healer, the Second and the Warrior, who were waiting on three Athosians. She worried for them; even if the Athosians were to arrive now, they would never out-run the storms. Thankfully the puddle jumpers could withstand the force of the winds, so they would be safe from harm as long as they remained within them.

As her Children leave, she prays that it will not be the last she sees of them. She knows they will be safe where they are going, but a part of her wishes they would not leave her. She was alone for so long and it is not something she would like to repeat. Two guards, her Favorite, her Protector and the Leader remain with her. The last three plan on disconnecting the grounding stations that keep the lightning from harming her Children. It is a good plan to use the power of the lightning to allow her to raise the shield and she hopes it works.

She watches with amusement as her Protector assigns the Leader, her Favorite and himself grounding stations to disconnect. She has great amusement because he gives her Favorite the two grounding stations furthest from the control tower—or a transporter. She knows he can make it; in fact doesn't mind so much, but he must always put on a show for her Protector. She learned early on that it was a form of mating ritual for them, despite the fact that they had yet to mate. They cared for each other greatly, but worried what others might think.

If they only knew...

All but one of the grounding stations have been disconnected when the Doorway opens. The code of the Athosians is given so the two guards open the barrier and...

Oh no! These are _not_ the Athosians! One kills both guards and orders the rest of his men to secure the control tower. Judging by the level of technology she detects from them, she assumes these are the Genii her Children encountered a few weeks ago. Oh, this is most horrible.

...and her Protector and the Leader are heading straight for them!


	11. Part 2: Resistance

**Title:** Atlantis

**Author:** Tonia Barone

**Rating:** Teen

**Spoilers**: The Storm, The Eye, a small one for Underground in the sense you know who the Genii are, a minor one for Trinity (basically name dropping)

**Disclaimer:** If they were mine, do you REALLY think Caldwell and Kavanagh would still be in Atlantis? Didn't think so.

**Notes:** First I'd like to thank jakisbishlygay for beta'ing this monster. Second...I made a boo-boo. I've searched and searched but I can't find out who. The idea for the indentifcation system Atlantis mentions herein, I got from someone else (with permission)'s fic. Thing is, I can't find the note I made as to who it was. All I remember is that the ID system she uses in that fic is what helps John find Rodney, I believe. So if whomever it was reads this, please speak up and I'll credit ya. is totally ashamed of her book-keeping skills. Or lack thereof Sorry.

**Summary: **For there to be darkness, there must also be light. I am most proud that my Favorite can provide that light.

* * *

She tried to warn her Protector, but he was too focused on the current crisis to listen to her. She watched helplessly as they were captured and the one who killed the guards began making his demands known. They raided her Children's supplies and took them through the Doorway. There was naught she could do to stop them because of the adjustments her Protector had made to maximize the collection of power from the storms.

While the Leader was taken to the healing rooms, her Protector was questioned using very cruel means. She gives what comfort she is able, and he is brave, her Protector, but he was not trained for such painful trials and he eventually told them what they wanted to know.

Oh! Oh, but her boy was clever, wasn't he? It isn't a lie if it holds a grain of truth, now is it? She can see he got the idea from a series of moving pictures his people watch for entertainment. Yes, it _is_ the truth, from a certain point of view.

If she could, she'd smirk.

Her Favorite has been made aware of the Genii through an ingenious ruse performed by her Protector. He goes to a puddle jumper for supplies and she offers him the life signs detector; he'll need it for what he plans to do and she will give him any advantage she can.

Not long after, he is rushing to beat the Genii to the room they use to house the C-4 explosive. She watches with pride as he takes it all, leaving only one of their short-range communication devices. She wastes no time guiding him to a place where the Genii cannot enter to hide the precious material. Only her True Children and nothing short of a vacuum energy weapon such as Project Arcturus could enter this room—not even those the Healer has Gifted.

The look on the Genii leader's face is such a treasure that she uses the internal monitoring system—yet another system her Children have yet to 'discover', but is easy enough to power—to preserve it. Now her Children—her Favorite and her Protector especially, she thinks—will be able to look upon this image and laugh. No, there is no question in her mind that they will survive and that they will overcome the Genii occupation. When that time comes they will need something to laugh about, she thinks.

At the puddle jumper the Athosians have finally arrived but it is far too late. They must remain where they are if they wish to keep safe; this is something the Second doesn't seem to care about. The young Second has been taught to aide his fellow soldiers and now that his commanding officer, her Favorite, is in trouble he wishes to go help. Both the Healer and the Warrior out-vote him in the desire to leave and he reluctantly backs down. She can tell, however, that it is not something he does easily.

She feels for this one; he is one of the youngest of her Favorite's men and it often shows yet for all the faults of youth, he is loyal in a way not often found in one so young. He has the Gift of the Healer so she can Feel him to a degree and she knows that he will bring it up again. She is tempted to sever the connection their communication devices have, but she realizes that if she were to do this he would only worry more.

In the end, she works to sooth and calm the young Second and the Healer's fears. She would touch the Warrior and her people, if only she could. The most she can do at the moment, however, is increase the shielding protecting the puddle jumper and allow a sub-sonic hum to permeate the interior. It has the relaxing effect she was hoping for and soon the Athosians are settled.

The Warrior, Second and the Healer are far too worried for their friends for it to affect them, however, and for this she is sad. If anyone needs comfort, it is these three for they are closest to the Leader, her Protector and her Favorite. They feel that their family is in danger and wish to assist them and that simple impulse endears these new Children to her all the more.

Her Favorite has arrived at the last grounding station. While she was checking on the puddle jumper he and the Genii leader had come to an agreement where her Favorite would disconnect the grounding station. She senses the ambush before he does and has him check the life signs detector just before he disconnects the grounding station.

A fire fight and two dead Genii later find her Favorite trading harsh words with the Genii leader over the now-destroyed control station. Her Protector could repair the damage with her help, but even she is not certain she wishes that. If the Genii were to wrest control of her from her Children...

Well, she shuddered to think of what these uneducated younglings would do. She can detect minute traces of radiation all over the Genii—part of how she is able to track them so well. She knows from her Protector that they are not even close to the technological level needed to understand her systems. They would most certainly destroy her in their desire to control her systems—and that is only if the Wraith do not arrive and kill them first. None of the Genii are open to her senses as her True Children and the Gifted are.

Nothing her Protector or the Leader says seems to be able to make them understand this simple fact.

Two and a half hours remain before the full force of the storms hit. The Genii leader feeds her Favorite lies about the fate of the Leader, saying that he has killed her. She tried to tell her Favorite different, but his grief was so great that he was not open to her. Not even when he mourned the merciful killing of his commanding officer or the lies the ascended people of the 'Mist World', as her Children now call it, had the effect on him as the thought of losing the Leader.

She is distracted by one of the Genii breaking into her systems. This is not good, not at all, she thinks. While she has control over the majority of her systems, there are some systems she has little or no control over. These are mostly the ones that only require one of her True Children to activate it so that everyone may use them. The day-to-day functions systems plus the inter-city tracking systems; the systems that tell where everyone within her walls is located.

It is this set of systems that the Genii have hacked into. She is thankful now that she is not at full power. If she _were_ at full power then she would have had to identify each individual; granted they would be using her designation system, but they would be identified. As it stands at present, the individuals show up as white dots; autonomous and indistinguishable from each other. In short, it only shows where a living body is, not who it is or what they are doing.

When she looks in on her Favorite she is glad for this lack of her systems. The Genii can see where her Favorite is, but not what he plans. She watches with a malicious glee that is most unusual for her, but these are special circumstances. These Genii have invaded her sanctity, killed two of her Children, and threatened the lives of three others plus herself.

These are not acts which she can forgive.

So when her Favorite ambushes the three Genii chasing him and slaughters them without mercy, she praises him. She praises him and then guides him to the next task: the power sources made of the Doorway's ore.

Not all has been idle during this altercation, however. In the puddle jumper on the mainland, the Second once again argues with the Healer and the Warrior to return to her halls in order to add her Favorite in battle. One of the large trees nearly falls on the puddle jumper just then and she guides the Healer in adjusting the inertial dampeners. This will ensure the ever-increasing winds will not lift the puddle jumper as a child would a toy. It has been so long since she has faced these storms; she had forgotten their full force. The tree the winds uprooted had not been small nor was it young.

Shortly after the Healer adjusts the inertial dampeners, the skies around the puddle jumper clear. She listens as the Healer explains about the 'eye' to the Warrior and the Athosians while silently urging him to return home. This will be his one chance before the storms reach her location. If he leaves now, he just might be able to make it to her before the full force of the storms hit. He might be able to aid her Favorite in his campaign against the Genii.


	12. Part 3: Crescendo

**Title:** Atlantis

**Author:** Tonia Barone

**Rating:** Teen

**Spoilers**: The Storm, The Eye and Underground (Genii knowledge)

**Disclaimer:** +looks down at herself, patting all the female-only equipment as if checking to that they are there+ Hmmm...nope, still a woman so I guess that means I don't own 'em 'cause as far as I'm aware, the person that owns them is a guy. +shrugs+ Pity.

**Notes:** jakisbishlygay is a goddess. Seriously. Some of the mistakes I had in this thing were so stupid, she must have at least SOME deity-blood in her for the patiences she had for me.

Also, yeah, I know this is a very short part. If was a good place to cut. +shrugs and smiles+ Don't kill me+snorts+ I can't believe that I, someone who LOVES long chapters, has a natural aversion to posting them. The irony is not lost.

**Summary: **War is not pleasant, but we do what we must do to survive.

* * *

Her Protector and the Leader are taken to the grounding station by the Genii leader. She watches with fond amusement as her Protector reads the Genii leader the riot act for using guns around such delicate equipment. Even in the most severe of circumstances he still manages to lose himself in his work. It will take him approximately twenty minutes to repair the damage with her help and he relays that information to the Genii Leader.

The storm has arrived by now, the rain pounding a harsh beat on all surfaces. The noise of the rain hitting her walls is enough to cover the conversation her Protector and the Leader have while the Genii leader is distracted. Word of her Favorite's exploits has reached him and he is not pleased. Good, he was not meant to be.

Her Favorite asks her what her Protector would do and she readily tells him. His grin is feral as he runs to the nearest of their power sources. There is little the Genii can do if they have not the power with which to do it. The loss of a few of her systems is a just price, she thinks as she watches her Favorite remove the key used to turn the device on. Immediately power to the tracking station fails and her joyous cry is echoed in her Favorite's mind.

She is quick to guide him to the next power source and, oh if only she could grin. Her Favorite had unknowingly timed the removal of the key to the precise moment the Genii leader asked her Protector for a progress report! When she shares this with her Favorite, he smirks and shares her amusement. He makes for the next power source and she is distracted by the arrival of her three wayward Children to warn him of the Genii that now guard the remaining power sources.

Before they leave the puddle jumper, she gives the life signs detector to the Healer; they will need it. In fact--

Oh no. She quickly forestalls her Favorite from going to the third power source in favor of the control tower. The Genii are sending reinforcements and there is naught she can do until he gives her the command. She watches as he blind-sides the Genii standing at the dialing device for the Doorway just as it opens. She is ready and the barrier is up before his fingers do more than ghost the controls. Five Genii make it through before she can close the barrier, but fifty-five more follow. The sound of their partially materialized bodies hitting the barrier is sickening, but such is the art of war.

The Genii woman orders her Favorite to be fired upon and she watches as he just barely makes it to the haven of the Leader's office. She guides him through an alternate exit, previously unknown to him, and to the third power source.

This act does not endear him to the Genii leader, who orders manhandles her Protector. The Genii leader is about to shove her Protector over the railing, despite the Leader's efforts to stop him, when her Protector convinces him to spare his life; for the moment, at any rate. The Genii leader immediately gives her Favorite the ultimatum that either he restores the power or _both_ the Leader and her Protector die.

This throws her Favorite for a loop for he was under the impression that the Leader was already dead. Faced with this new threat, however, he is quick to push aside his joy and hurry to the first power source. When he arrives it is to find two Genii guarding it. He is quick to make a distraction and waits until the Genii have left the room before entering. Just as he is about to replace the key, however, they return and stop him. Her Favorite tries to talk them into contacting their leader but they will not listen.

Her attention switches back to the Healer, Second and the Warrior. They have been to the armory and are nearly upon her Favorite's location. It seems wrong to her that the Healer should be made to carry a weapon of pain and death, but at the moment it is needed.

The Second held one of the Wraith stunners that her Children have collected over their stay. She was curious as to why so she quietly asked him. He, like many of those with the Healer's Gift, seemed to think her voice within them was simply their own mind speaking back at them. He answered with the explanation that he would 'shoot first and ask questions later', which was a quote from one of their moving entertainment pictures, she saw. He was aware that her Favorite wandered these halls and did not want to risk shooting him with their primitive weapons. This was very wise of him.

The Genii were positioned in such a way that her Favorite had an unobstructed view of the Second, the Warrior and the Healer creeping up behind his captors. The two Genii were subdued in relatively short order and her Favorite quickly restores power to the grounding station the Genii leader has her Protector and the Leader hostage.

Her Protector immediately sets to work repairing the grounding station while her Favorite brings the others up to speed on their situation. It isn't until the two groups split again, the Second now going with her Favorite to the control tower while the Warrior and the Healer return to the jumper bay. It isn't until it is almost too late that she finally sees the Genii woman behind the Warrior and the Healer.

This is the same woman who blamed the Warrior for her father's death. She clubs the Healer in the back of the head before turning her attention to the Warrior. The ensuing fight is a wonder to behold but it becomes obvious early on that the Warrior is far more experienced. It is soon over, but the Warrior is sympathetic toward the Genii woman and lets her go free with her life.

More pressing matters have arisen in the meantime.


	13. Part 4: Climax

**Title:** Atlantis

**Author:** Tonia Barone

**Rating:** Teen

**Spoilers**: The Storm, The Eye, Underground (Genii knowledge yadda yadda yadda), blink-and-you-miss-it for Brotherhood

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, some else more important and rich owns them.

**Notes:** Thanks to jakisbishlygay for the beta, as always. Last part of chapter 8, finally. Now the REAL work begins on chapter 9 (Defiant One).

**Summary: **All things must end eventually. It is now time for the Genii to discover this fact of existance.

* * *

Her Protector has disengaged the final grounding station and now he, the Leader and the Genii leader are gathered in the control tower. Her Protector is doing a marvelous job at stalling under the pretense of needing the Leader's very long pass code. For all that he claims he is horrible at bluffing, he can lie with the best of thieves.

This allows two things to happen: the Genii time to flee with their stolen supplies and her Favorite and his Second time to plan an ambush.

But what is this? Oh no, they could _not_ take her Protector from her; she wouldn't allow it. She is quick to inform her Favorite of this latest development, though he sees it at the same time as she had. He assigns her Protector's safety to his Second while he takes care of the Leader's captor, the Genii leader himself.

The Second takes care of the Genii guarding her Protector in short order and her Protector quickly ducks beside the dais the Doorway rests upon. This leaves just the Genii leader for her Favorite to dispatch.

The Genii leader is using her Children's Leader as a shield, obviously thinking that her Favorite would not shoot his Leader. What the Genii don't know is that her Favorite is an expert marksman. Her Favorite fires, the small metal projectile they use as ammunition digging deep into the Genii leader's left shoulder, just above the Leader's own shoulder. He drops her as he spins into the Doorway, propelled by the force of the hit.

As she disengages the Doorway, her Protector makes his way up to the control station he was working on earlier. She detects what he does and is worried: there is a disturbingly large wave—her Protector calls it a 'tsunami'—coming straight at her. Without the shield, there is naught she can do for her Children or for herself for that matter. The wave's size is sufficient enough to decimate her should it impact. She would, in effect, be killed, along with all those who resided within her at the time.

She prepares to open the Doorway on her own, fearing for the lives of her Children, when her Protector gets ready to activate the shield. She is not certain there is enough power gathered yet, but he would try. The Second points out that the Healer and the Warrior are still out in her halls, but she assures her Protector that they are nearly to the control tower. Her Favorite reinforces this by asking her Protector to wait just a few more minutes. There is time, she tells him, and he listens to her.

The Healer, the Warrior and the Genii woman arrive moments later. Her Protector wastes no time activating the power collectors, but it will be close. The wave is almost upon her when there is finally enough power for the shield. She raises it just as the wave reaches her and were she able, she would breathe a sigh of relief; that was too close.

Once the storms have passed, the Leader recalls her Children to her and she is glad. The Leader and her Favorite discuss the fate of the Genii woman while watching her Children return and she is uncertain how she feels about this. The Leader wishes to return the woman to her people, yet her Favorite is a bit more pragmatic about the likelihood of this easing the tensions between their two peoples. She, herself, agrees with her Favorite; it would be foolhardy to believe such an offering would appease the Genii.

Her Protector goes up to them and she would smile at his aggrieved tone at having to bandage his own arm. She is further amused by the fact that he has done it wrong; the bandage is supposed to be on the _inside_ of his clothing, not the outside. This could not be helped; however, as the Healer is suffering from the mild concussion he received from the Genii woman.

Her Protector gives a report on her state of being when the Leader asks; adding that he has finally eaten for the first time in what is one of their Earth days. He states that, exempting the minor structural damage to the eastern pier, that she and himself are "just fine." That he spoke of the two of them together like this touches her, for few have viewed her as he does. Finally, he is beginning to see her as she truly is.

She turns her attentions to the Doorway as the Engineer returns. He is looking a bit more ruffled than is usual for him and he is muttering to himself in his native language. If she had more power, she would be able to understand him via the translator she holds. As he is looking so very worn, she prepares his rooms for his arrival: making sure the temperature is at his preferred level, the sleeping pad warmed, and the windows adjusted to block light from entering while still allowing the view afforded to these particular set of rooms.

When he finally arrives after having conferred with her Protector on her structural status, she opens the door for him. He pauses just inside, smiling at how she prepared his rooms. She can feel his gratitude even before he voices it and this pleases her. He has much work ahead of him, what with overseeing the repairs she will need.

Of course she prepares the rooms of her Favorite, her Protector and the others who remained with her during the storms. It is the least she can do in thanks for their hard work and the suffering they have suffered due to the Genii incursion.

Her Protector gives his thanks silently as he collapses onto his sleeping pad, physically and mentally exhausted by the stress of the last few days. The Leader and the Second also thank her in their own ways, as both are uncertain as to her true nature. The Warrior voices her thanks in the form of a prayer said in the language of her former Children and she responds by adjusting the air currents in such a way that the flames of the Warrior's meditation candles flicker.

The Healer is in the care of his staff and is currently confined to the infirmary. If the medical personnel find it odd that the Healer is always awake when they go to wake him themselves, they don't mention it. Not in front of him, at least. Secretly, however, they speak amongst themselves of how she cares for the Healer and his staff are glad for the assistance she gives.

Her Favorite, as always, is her greatest concern and she takes extra care when preparing his rooms for him. She wishes she had more power so she could initiate the small drones whose purpose is to clean up after her Children. While her Children have found the large laundry room, they have not found the specialized equipment used to repair worn and damaged clothing. The drones themselves come equipped with a special chemical formula that removes stains, something that her Favorite sorely needs. Difficult as it is to tell with his dark clothing, there _are_ bloodstains in places.

He, like her Protector, is exhausted yet unlike the thinker he is unable to sleep. The horrors of the day have finally caught up with him and all he sees are the lives he has taken and the two that were lost. She soothes him as much as she can and distracts him by sharing several amusing antecedents from the time her former Children were with her. At last he falls into slumber, a small smile gracing his handsome face. She adjusts the temperature of the sleeping pad, then the room before locking the door and turning her attentions on the rest of her Children.

She has seen to the care of her most beloved Children and though she cares for all those who reside within her walls, this small group is especially dear to her. They are the ones largely responsible for her care and for that she is ever grateful. With the storms behind them, they should be safe with her once more. She will be more vigilant against possible invasion and will adjust the power allotment to allow her to run her sensors in the background of the other systems. She will do everything in her power to protect and warn her Children against future calamity. She prays that this is enough.


	14. Part 1: Dangerous Excursions

**Title:** Atlantis

**Author:** Tonia Barone

**Rating:** Teen

**Spoilers**: Defiant One, of course, a minor one for the Eye, and a semi-major one for Prodigy (SG1 season 4)

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, yadda yadda yadda...

**Notes:** Thanks to jakisbishlygay for the beta and moonbeam for the ep download, way back when I started this chap. Really couldn't have done it without it. Okay, yeah, I probably COULD have, but I'm glad I didn't have to.

**Summary: **Children are also very curious creatures. Sometimes perhaps _too_ curious for their own good.

* * *

After the first three days, her Protector ceased to complain about his wounded arm. That her Favorite, the Healer _and_ the Engineer threatened that horribly humiliating things would occur if he did not 'shut up', as her Favorite put it, around the time which he stopped complaining was merely a coincidence. It was probably best that her Protector never tested his friends anyway; the three of them had gathered together to discuss things she could do with the power she had. 

It would seem that the incident with the dye has not been forgotten.

It takes a week after that before the Healer will allow her Protector to leave her halls and it is a moment much celebrated by his fellow thinkers. The length, volume and sheer strength of her Protector's cutting remarks to his colleagues was enough to not only resort the meek female thinker with the visual enhancers to tears, but to also force the Engineer and the much-disliked thinker into an alliance. The two thinkers were almost finished with a rather ingenious program that would allow her enough power to create an area roughly five feet in diameter in which the environmental systems would be _slightly_ out of alignment with the rest of whichever room he was in.

The Engineer promised her he would complete the power distribution research so that she might communicate with her Children before the month was out. It was an offer she could not refuse, never minding the fact that he was already working on it. She had much fondness for the Engineer and her Protector had insulted her ability to function properly no less than ten times in half as many days. It was not her fault that she had so little power, and he should be grateful for that; if she _had_ been at full power, she would have taught him a lesson in respect.

Several thinkers had 'stumbled' upon the only defense satellite to survive the Great Siege and the Leader had given her permission for two of the thinkers, her Favorite and her Protector to go inspect it. Unfortunately it was over fifteen hours away by puddle jumper and she had to work quickly to ensure that her Protector would return as he left; her Favorite _really_ wanted to do something. His argument being: "It's not like his hair wouldn't grow _back!_ ...eventually. Probably. And besides, orange is a good color on him! He wore orange when I first met him."

As tempted as she was—this _was_ her Favorite asking this of her, after all—she could not in good conscience allow such a 'prank' to be played. This did not mean she would not allow her Favorite his fun, however. It was her idea that her Protector should learn to fly and such a long journey would be perfect practice. So once they had cleared the atmosphere her Favorite turned the controls over to her Protector.

Five minutes later she wished she had kept her proverbial mouth shut.

How someone with a mind such as her Protector's could fail to understand the concept of 'straight line', she did not know. What she _did_ know was that the two thinkers were becoming ill and her Favorite was reconsidering his promise not to bring her Protector back in the same state he left in. When her Favorite pointed out how _not_ in a straight line they were flying, her Protector protested profusely. The look on his face when she brought up the display of their intended path then overlaid it with the path he had flown was priceless.

At last they reached the satellite and her Protector gratefully traded places with her Favorite. There was no power, of course; it had taken much damage during the Great Siege. There was, however, a distress signal coming from the planet. That couldn't possibly be correct; according to these readings it was a _Wraith_ distress signal! The last reports from the satellite said that a Wraith cruiser fell into the planet's atmosphere, but there should not have been enough left for it to _have_ a distress signal, let alone _use_ it.

No, no, no, no, no! These two, _must_ they go looking for trouble? It finds them often enough on its own, they needn't search for it! Of course the Leader cannot say 'no' to these two. Thankfully one of the thinkers voices the concerning factor of the ionization of the planet's atmosphere, which would make communication with their radio devices all but impossible. The Leader is almost swayed against it when this is made known to her, but more pleading from her Favorite and her Protector finally get the Leader to agree—on the condition that they contact home in three hours. Three hours is far too long as far as she is concerned, but she has no way of making her thoughts known; especially when both of the Children in question are ignoring her.

So with the Leader's dubious blessing her Favorite guides the puddle jumper to land several hundred meters from the Wraith cruiser. She is thankful now that she has shown her Favorite how to calibrate the life signs detector so that she might keep an eye on them while they are away from the puddle jumper.

Her Protector, of course, whines about the warning the thinker voiced, while her Favorite complains of having to listen to them argue. Personally, she found it quite amusing; her Protector was so proud to 'impart' his off-world knowledge to his fellow thinkers. Also amusing was watching him try to fly the puddle jumper whilst her Favorite guided him. One thing that was always true with these two Children was that life was never dull.

Before long they are on their way, making the long trek to the Wraith cruiser. After a time the two thinkers comment on the length of the walk and her Protector boasts that it becomes easier with time and off-world experience. A bare second later, in a sotto voce, he asks her Favorite if they are "there yet." However, before he can respond—with a suitably sarcastic remark, she sees—they encounter the small life forms of this planet.

Though her former Children never gave these life forms a name, from the glimpses she has had into her Favorite's mind she believes the name 'fairy' would suit them best. What _is_ known of these...fairies...is that they are moderately intelligent—roughly the same as a domesticated animal; again, from what she has seen in her Children's minds, they are comparable to a 'cat'—and mostly harmless.

'Mostly' because these life forms are a secondary evolution of a similar species in what her Children refer to as the 'Milky Way' galaxy—the galaxy of their origin. The species there are vulnerable to electromagnetic fields, can pass through matter and are _very_ territorial. A few of for her former Children's younglings would keep them as pets. When they began to interfere with her systems, her former Children brought the life forms to this planet. She was actually quite sad that they had to be relocated; their innocent curiosity warmed her.

At least this evolution did not appear to be harmful to her Children. Their predecessors, when aggravated, would pass through whatever had aggravated them; usually this was another animal or, occasionally, one of her Children. Wherever the life forms passed through the body of their target, a red welt would form. The life forms became hot when angered, see, and wherever they passed through cooked, for lack of a better term. A swarm of these life forms is sufficient enough to kill.

Her Protector mentions his allergy to an insect on his home world, called a 'bee'. She reassures him that these are not the same creatures as she has seen in his thoughts. One of the thinkers points out the strong life signs these fairies emit before her Favorite 'suggests' that they continue to the Wraith cruiser.

---

Back in her halls, the Leader summons the Second. The Leader has good instincts and feels a team should be assembled to be sent to the planet. The Second fails his training for a brief moment, showing his concern over her Favorite and her Protector. He is quick to compose himself, but his mind is in turmoil; her Favorite is not just his superior, but also his friend.

The Leader assures the Second that she hasn't heard anything either way, though thought it best to be safe than sorry. The Second nods his agreement and goes to gather the Warrior, the young guard who guided the puddle jumper while her Favorite was injured by the 'Iratus bug', as her Children called it, and one last guard, this one carrying one of her Children's larger explosive projectile weapons.

The Leader reinstates that though nothing has been heard, she feels a team should be sent and the Warrior agrees. The Second informs the Leader of the small arsenal they packed in the puddle jumper and with the final prayer that it not be needed; the Leader sends them on their way.

What the Leader doesn't know is that Atlantis herself told the Second that such weaponry would be needed. It is the first time she has spoken to him so directly, though he did not show fear or surprise. He simply asked what was needed, then packed double what she said. He did not question why it was needed and neither did his team. She was glad that they didn't, for she had no concrete answer for them; just a bad feeling about the Wraith cruiser the others had found.

---

When the team finally came upon the Wraith cruiser, her Favorite wasted no time scanning the area through his binoculars. Through him she was also able to see the bodies of the dead Wraith and the damage the ship had sustained. She worried that perhaps there might yet be Wraith alive in the ship and shared her concerns with her Favorite. He asks her Protector to check the life signs detector, which of course her Protector scoffs at. At both the behest of her Favorite and herself, however, he quickly relents.

She is almost disappointed when the results are negative on life signs, at least from the ship; the fairies emit fairly strong life sign readings on their own, but are no where near the ship. Her Favorite considers this an 'okay' and leads the others into the Wraith ship. There is little evidence of habitation, which would be expected if the surviving Wraith died out millennia ago.

Her Protector is leading the others to the source of the power readings he is detecting when they come across a fork in the path. Her Protector, her Favorite and one of the thinkers follow the power readings, but the last thinker strays. She cannot Feel him, for he is not of her True Children or one of those Gifted by the Healer. She only knows he strays by the single life sign leaving the small group that is her Children. She wishes that her Protector was not so focused on the power source, or her Favorite on protecting the thinkers; with their minds so focused, she is unable to reach them.

Her Favorite and the thinkers soon come across the body of a dead Wraith, one that is remarkably well preserved. Her Protector reaches to get samples for the Healer while her Favorite trains his weapon on the body. As her Protector clears away the webbing surrounding the body, they discover something very disturbing—something not even she was aware of: the Wraith are cannibals.

In the center of the body's chest are the tell-tale marks of Wraith having fed. This upsets her Favorite to the extent that he is about to order their retreat when the wandering thinker calls for them. Through her Favorite's eyes she can see the purpose of this vessel: a supply ship, bringing food for the Wraith laying siege upon herself and her Children. Her Favorite orders the two thinkers to document the number of storage pods with the small digital recording device one of the thinkers carries while he and her Protector search for the bridge. Though reluctant, the thinkers comply with her Favorite's wishes.

Watching her two most mischievous Children, something dawns on her. Her Protector is explaining his plan to interface with the Wraith computers and thus is closed to her; her Favorite, however, has relaxed his guard just enough for her to share this new thought. Under the pretense of thinking aloud, he asks her Protector if it would be possible for a Wraith to survive from feeding on the bodies discovered. Seeing where he's going with this, her Protector opens himself to her at last and they quickly confer. Together, the three of them share their knowledge of the Wraith and come to the conclusion that, yes, a Wraith _could_ possibly survive ten thousand years on the humans in storage, his fellow Wraith _and_ if he hibernated every few centuries.

Her Protector contacts the thinkers, telling them to meet at the entrance to the ship. Though there is a moment of interference, the message is understood and the thinkers prepare to leave. She sees the life sign a split second before the thinker contacts her Favorite, reporting that they saw something. She worries when her Favorite tells the thinkers to remain where they are, that he and her Protector will come to them. Her Favorite cannot possibly know the results of this order.

When the screams begin, her Favorite and her Protector 'double-timed' it, as the guards would say, but they were too late. One of the thinkers was dead and the other was fading. Her Favorite's mind shut down to her, so narrowed was his focus at the moment; a Wraith had killed one of the thinkers in his care and he did not take kindly to such slander. Her Protector was so frightened at the thought of facing this ancient Wraith—even more so than he had been when facing the Genii during the storms—that she could hardly reach him to sooth him.

The Wraith was fleeing at a rapid pace with the remaining thinker. Her Favorite hurried to catch up, but upon reaching the thinker he found that the Wraith had left the ship. The thinker was in bad shape: cocooned in the Wraith webbing, a fresh feeding wound in his chest, his life readings fading and his physical features visibly aged. Even if they could bring him home to her and the Healer, there was little chance the thinker would survive.

Her Favorite orders her Protector to stay with the thinker while he chases the Wraith. Her Protector protested this very loudly, fearful for his friend and love. In other circumstances, the look shared between them would be sweet. Her Favorite spares another look at the thinker before leaving; his purpose clear in his mind: keep the Wraith from leaving, protect his love and save the thinker. Not necessarily in that order.

Her Favorite pauses long enough to take two of the explosive devices on the cannibalized Wraith they had found then runs after the fleeing Wraith. Though her Favorite is swift, he is no match for a Wraith that has so recently fed and it comes as no surprise that the Wraith beats him to the puddle jumper. She is barely able to curb the urge to forcibly eject the Wraith while in orbit. Only the thought of having to spend multiple weeks under scrutiny for displaying this never-before-seen ability stopped her. While she would love to show her Children all the things she could do, even with just the puddle jumpers, it would be too much hassle at the moment. But she is sorely tempted to do so anyway when that filth begins to work on the control crystals in the rear compartment.

---

Her Protector removes the webbing from the thinker, trying to remain lighthearted for the dying man—and he _was_ dying, make no mistake. The dying thinker was not fooled, however, but knew enough about her Protector to see that he needed to be distracted himself. To this end, he insulted her Protector in hopes of opening a verbal sparring match such as he'd seen her Protector and her Favorite take part in. Unfortunately, his efforts had the opposite effect and he was soon demanding to see the damage the Wraith had wrought.

When her Protector reluctantly showed his fellow thinker his reflection in a small reflective glass, both she and her Protector ached at the horrified sound that the thinker made. Even she could not confirm her Protector's speculations about how the Wraith feeding affected the aging process. Her Protector put aside the reflective glass and began to bandage the feeding wound, and though he put on a light front, inside he was berating himself for having allowed inexperienced thinkers to accompany him and her Favorite on what as basically a scouting mission. She tried to calm him, but he would not be calmed. So she remained ever vigilant as he focused his attentions on the thinker, and silently urged her Favorite to hurry.


	15. Part 2: Battle On

**Title:** Atlantis

**Author:** Tonia Barone

**Rating:** Teen

**Spoilers**: Defiant One, Prodigy (SG1 S4)

**Disclaimer:** Believe me, if they were mine there would'a been a lot more angst this episode. Also a lot more nookie.

**Notes:** Thanks to jakisbishlygay for the beta, though I may regret that soon. You all are gonna hate me for this ending, I'll tell you now. Never fear, the coming Interlude is already half written. Please don't lynch me yet. hides behind Radek again

**Summary: **Battles long fought always produce bittersweet victories.

* * *

Her Favorite arrives at the puddle jumper at last and crouches behind a rock formation some meters away. His mind is still mostly closed to her, so she cannot give him the full report she wishes. She is moderately pleased when he contacts her Protector; at least he is not so foolhardy as to attempt this alone. She is also amused by the possessiveness her Favorite shows towards the puddle jumper, even if her Protector isn't.

Something her Protector says sparks a memory, a very worrisome one at that. She nudges her Favorite and is relieved when he notices the remains of the previous night's frost in the shadows of the rock formation. A reason this planet was never colonized was the freezing temperatures the surface reached at night. While it is true any building her former Children constructed could withstand the temperatures, they had been very fond of open air. That was part of the reason she, herself, had such vast open areas and large windows.

Her Children are lucky that they arrived on the planet just after sun rise and that the days are quite long. They were six hours overdue and the Second was still a little over six hours away. Night on this planet would fall in roughly nine hours; not much time to spare. She urged the Second to hurry and was gratified when he asked the pilot to increase their speed.

Her Protector points out that a rescue would not likely arrive until after nightfall, which prompts her Favorite to come up with a bold plan. That is, if by bold you mean stupid, dangerous and foolhardy. With plans such as these, it is little wonder that her Protector has yet to realize that her Favorite is also a thinker—what thinker would conceive such a ploy as the one her Favorite is now implementing?

Her Protector tries his best to talk her Favorite out of it, but her Favorite can be very single-minded when it comes to the safety of his charges; especially if his love is amongst them. After asking a report on the dying thinker's progress, her Favorite signs off and begins to parlay with the Wraith within the puddle jumper. Her Favorite informs the Wraith that the war was lost for his kind and that he is the sole survivor. So convincing is her Favorite's bluff that the Wraith begins to believe it. He sets up a meeting near the Wraith cruiser; a ruse of course.

Just as the Wraith leaves the safety of the puddle jumper her Favorite attacks. Personally, she believes he should have waited, but as he is still closed to her she could not tell him this. The Wraith goes down, but it is not dead. Indeed, even as her Favorite approaches it, the Wraith is reaching for one of her Children's smaller primitive weapons. She tries to warn him, but he is so sure of his victory. Foolish, foolish boy!

Her Favorite pays for his impetuousness when the Wraith manages to hit him in the arm with the weapon he held. Her Favorite retreats to 'lick his wounds' as her Children would say. All was not in vain, however: the Wraith _is_ weakened; she can feel it in the way his hands shake as he works on the control crystals. It takes her a few moments to realize what the Wraith is trying to do.

Her Favorite and the Engineer had discovered much when it came to the puddle jumpers. They were self-contained and their systems were both less complex and less in quantity. There were a few things, however, that they had yet to discover; the shield the Wraith had just calibrated was one of them. Well, this is certainly not good.

Checking with her Protector and the thinker reveals that the thinker is slowly regaining control over his extremities. Her Protector is so stressed now, so worried, but he is trying to maintain a light demeanor. Though he fails, the effort, at least, is appreciated. Her Favorite interrupts her Protector's dubious care over the thinker with a report of the skirmish. She reassures him even as her Favorite confirms that he is not seriously injured.

When her Favorite comments on how the Wraith seemed different from the others he's fought, stronger and possessing an amazing healing rate, she relays to him via her Protector the 'theory' that the Wraith's ability to heal, at the very least, is proportional to how recently they have fed. Her former Children were aware of this fact, but her newer Children were only just now speculating on it. She helps where she is able, but the Healer is still not as open to her as she would like

Her Favorite 'advises' that her Protector give the dying thinker one of their hand-held projectile weapons on the chance that he doesn't return. Both she and her Protector have misgivings about this course of action, but her Favorite cannot be swayed; he cares much for his thinkers and their safety. Her Favorite ends the discussion, trusting her Protector to do as he was asked.

Her Favorite studies one of the Wraith explosive devices he took from the cannibalized Wraith as he was leaving.

She admits a lack of knowledge when it comes to them; her former Children had never salvaged one intact. Even still, she tries to warn him against separating then twisting the two halves and putting them back together. Her worries are confirmed when the device lets out a high pitched hum, followed by blinking lights on the sides; great, he's armed it. Her Favorite is quite smart, however, and soon realizes the same. He quickly throws it and just barely manages to duck before it explodes.

Her Protector, hearing the blast from the explosive device, contacts her Favorite to assure that he is still there. Her Favorite placates him, then orders her Protector to remain off the radio; he is 'busy' and does not wish to be disturbed. When her Protector goes to argue, she quickly stops him; her Favorite is doing battle with the Wraith, she tells him, and he does not need the distraction. Her Protector reluctantly complies.

Her Favorite used the lull in battle to eat a 'power bar', as her Children call them, while trying to devise another plan of attack. He'd only managed a few bites, however, when a fairy flew up looking for food. Kind-hearted as her Favorite was, he broke off a small bit and set it aside for the fairy. The fairy ate then flew off only to return a minute later with a dozen more of its kind.

This worried her Favorite greatly, for while one fairy was hardly noticeable, a dozen or more would draw the attention of the Wraith. In desperation, her Favorite tore a large piece off the power bar and threw it away from him; the fairies immediately flew after it. Appetite gone, her Child put the rest way and went back to observing the Wraith. A few minutes later he had an idea, which she was only half-sure of.

Her Favorite ran around the dunes surrounding the puddle jumper until he was across from his previous position. He activated a smoke-flare and ran back around to the rock formation he had been hiding behind. As the Wraith was in the puddle jumper and unable to immediately see the flare, her Favorite fired a few shots in the flare's general direction. The Wraith peered out the front windshield and upon seeing the red smoke left the puddle jumper.

Atlantis would have sighed if she could. Her Favorite had done well in luring the Wraith from the puddle jumper, but before walking off the Wraith had activated the shield. Her Favorite was so sure of his victory. He was still closed to her, but she tried to reach him all the way until he hit the shield. As the shield conforms to the shape of the ship, he hit the upper portion first then fell into a slide as he hit the lower portion. He was quick to rise and return to cover, but he was a little shaky; the shield 'packed quite a punch' as her Children would say.

After a moments pause to catch his breath, her Favorite wasted no time planting the second Wraith explosive device in the ground then placing a radio over it. He had just enough time to return to the rock formation before the Wraith returned.

The Wraith didn't lower the shield, but it _did_ follow the sound of her Favorite's voice to the device. Tired of her Favorite's taunts and not seeming to remember that her Favorite had heard him quite clearly not long before, the Wraith lifted the radio from the device. He had just a second to realize what was about to happen before the device exploded.

Her Favorite, though cautious, was prepared to celebrate his hard-won victory. His joy was thwarted by the rise of the Wraith. Cursing his luck, the Wraith and life in general, he retreated once more.

Her Protector fretted when he heard the second explosion. The dying thinker tried to persuade her Protector to go aid her Favorite, but her Protector was nothing if not loyal; he would not leave the other thinker on his own.

The thinker persisted, however, and after several minutes he had almost convinced her Protector to abandon him. She also was torn between him leaving or staying. On the one hand, she was so proud of her Protector for remaining with the thinker. But on the other hand, her Favorite would not last much longer against the Wraith. It has been toying with him and now grew weary of the game.

When the shot rang, she was as unaware of its coming as her Protector. Even though he knew what he would find, her Protector turned to face the thinker. It was a gruesome sight, yet her Protector committed it to memory, just as he had done with the other thinker this Wraith had fed upon.

The thinker's sacrifice was not in vain: her Protector knew instantly why his comrade had done such a thing; besides the obvious that is. After taking another moment to say a small prayer for the thinker, her Protector races towards the puddle jumper where her Favorite was fighting a losing battle against the Wraith.

---

Her Favorite hit the ground hard and she felt his pain as her own. Three broken ribs, two more fractured ribs, the graze on his left arm and a concussion; her Favorite was not in good shape. Her Protector was on his way, thankfully, but whether he would arrive in time or not was still in question.

The Wraith was advancing on her Favorite, taunting her Child with the knowledge that he will be dismembered so that the Wraith will be able to use her Favorite's hands to pilot the puddle jumper. Not that this plan will work--there is a mental component to the interface that requires what her Children call the ATA gene; just using his hands will not work. Unfortunately, the Wraith was unaware of this.

The Wraith had evidently acquired another weapon before leaving the puddle jumper because he was now firing on her Favorite. Her Favorite returned fire as best he could, but he was running low on ammunition.

---

Above the planet the Second, the Warrior and the two guards reached orbit. She urged the Second to open communications as soon as possible. A few minutes later, he finally got through.

---

Planet-side, her Favorite, desperate as all his ammunition was exhausted, charged the Wraith with nothing but a combat knife. He managed to stab it clear through the Wraith's feeding hand before the Wraith batted him away. The Wraith pulled the knife from his hand and slowly stalked her Favorite. He sensed that her Favorite was in no longer in any shape to attack.

As the Wraith closed in for the final blow her Protector arrived. Relief flooded over her as she watched in disbelief as her Protector emptied his weapon into the Wraith then asked her Favorite what to do next. Did the man not pay attention in the weapons training course her Favorite required of all off-world personnel?

While her Protector reloaded, the Wraith turned his attention back to her Favorite. It was then that her Favorite was again besieged by the hungry fairies. An idea occurred to her then and she was quick to share it with her Favorite. He took the remains of his power bar and ordered his Second to fire on the largest life sign when he gave the word. His Second protested that both her Favorite and her Protector were too close to the target, but he would give the order when the time came.

In a daring move, her Favorite darted forward and slipped the power bar in the Wraith's belt. The resulting hit left him with another broken rib and a fractured clavicle, but it served its purpose; the fairies converged on the Wraith. With her Protector ducked behind a rock and her Favorite across the clearing doing the same, her Favorite gave the order. She added as much power as she could to the drone and was quite pleased when the Wraith--and, sadly, the fairies--were obliterated.

As her Favorite and her Protector reassure themselves that the other was well, she thanks the Second and the pilot for their quick actions. Without them, it is unlikely that her two most favored Children would still be alive.

When the second puddle jumper landed, her Favorite assured his Second and the Warrior of his and her Protector's well being. Once he had assuaged his teammates' worries, her Favorite brought up the matter of the dead thinkers. He didn't look at her Protector, but his hand never left his love's shoulder.

No one mentioned what an obvious gesture of care and love that was.

Her Protector remained with the Warrior and her Favorite while the Second took the two guards to retrieve the bodies of the thinkers. Neither of her two Children was in any state to perform the task; one was physically battered while the other was on the edge of a mental breakdown. For all his off-world experience, her Protector has never been so close to death. The Warrior remained to watch over them and to sooth their individual wounds--both physical and mental in origin.

And while the Warrior wrapped her Favorite's ribs and checked over her Protector for physical wounds, the Second and the guards found the body of the thinker who took his own life. The sight alone was enough to turn the stomachs of the guards and the Second, and this raised their respect and esteem for her Protector. That he could witness such a horrifying event yet still function enough to rush to her Favorite's aid amazed them, something that cause the Second much guilt. For all these months he had fought alongside her Protector yet still deep within himself he considered the man a simple thinker--not the warrior he was slowly becoming.

The Second swore to never underestimate her Protector again.

It takes her Protector nearly two hours to deactivate the shield--even with her help. The guards return ten minutes after the shield is finally deactivated and come upon her Protector repairing the most immediate damage caused by the Wraith. When the time to leave finally comes, her Favorite insists he and her Protector return alone in the puddle jumper. Unsurprisingly, this statement is met with resistance by their other teammates.

The Second and the Warrior spent nearly half an hour alone arguing against it, yet they finally cave when her Favorite takes them aside and explains how he wishes to talk privately with her Protector. A significant look informed his teammates the nature of the subject he wished to discuss with her Protector. This got his Second to back off immediately; her Favorite's culture has some very odd views on same-sex lovers.

The Warrior, though she did not understand the logic--or lack thereof--she _did_ understand that her Favorite wished to be alone with the man he so obviously loved. She agreed to travel with the guards and left to inform the guards of the travel arrangements. Her Favorite told his Second to wait for them in orbit then lead them home. When asked why, her Favorite informed his Second of the promise he made to her Protector to allow him to fly home. He also shared the tale of their journey to the satellite.

His Second was kind enough to wait until his puddle jumper was in orbit before releasing his suppressed amusement.

In the other puddle jumper, her Favorite sat himself in the navigator's chair while motioning for her Protector to take the pilot's seat. While this did not 'magically'--she has learned so many new words and phrases from these new Children; they are most amusing, yet appropriate--cure him of his grief, it _does_ serve to distract him for a short time; about the time it takes for him to get up into orbit and realize he must follow the Second.

She almost pities her Favorite, for he has fifteen hours to travel with his love's ire. Hopefully he will be able to calm her Protector and, perhaps, finally admit the true depth of his feelings for her Protector.


	16. Interlude 3: Rodney and John

**Title:** Atlantis

**Author:** Tonia Barone

**Rating:** Adult for, well, adult situations. Or, well, implied situations.

**Spoilers**: Defiant One, duh

**Disclaimer:** Gods, I wish they were mine. If so, not only with the following be actual canon, it would have had screen time and it would have been a helluva lot longer and with a HELLUVA lot more detail of the smutty kind.

**Notes:** Thanks ever so to jakisbishlygay for the beta and everyone else for not killing me in the meantime.

**Summary:** Heart-to-snark and fourteen and a half hours until they get home.

* * *

Rodney rolled his eyes upon seeing he'd be following Lieutenant Ford "Real subtle, Sheppard." 

John grinned over at him from the navigator's chair. "I thought so."

Chuckling even as he glared, Rodney pointed out, "No you didn't. I've seen you do subtle, Major."

"You can call me John, you know." Said man was very carefully _not_ looking at Rodney.

Rodney was quick to correct the course change caused by his jerking of the controls. For once John made no mention of the swerve from the set course. Surely he imagined the tone in the Major's voice. Sorry, John's voice.

John's voice was now amused as he gently poked Rodney. "Rodney? Don't tell me I finally found a way to shut you up."

"Of course not." /Atlantis, does this thing have an auto-pilot/

Of course, Protector. A moment's pause, then: It is done, Protector.

/Thanks, Atlantis. And don't think you're off the hook about explaining that name thing./

She was definitely amused, if her 'voice' was any clue. Of course not, Protector. How could I forget--you only remind me every five minutes.

/Only five? Must be slacking./ Rodney tuned out the chime-like laughter of Atlantis in favor of turning his chair to face John's. But John of course, being the smart man he was, had already sensed something was up and was already facing him. Rodney pre-empted John by saying: "Auto-pilot."

This seemed to surprise John, which in turn surprised Rodney. Didn't he and Atlantis have some sort of twisted love affair?

John obviously thought they had because he glared up at the ceiling for a period. Another moment where John was obviously chastising Atlantis for holding back on him passed. Then John turned to Rodney and gave the scientist an indecipherable look. "Rodney? Call me John."

Rodney licked his lips; aware of the growing tension between them but unsure if he should do anything. So he decided to 'go with the flow'. "John."

The smile John gave him upon hearing his name caused pleasant shivers throughout Rodney's body. "See? Now that wasn't so hard, now was it?" Then John shifted in his seat and winced, grabbing his ribs.

"John!" Rodney was out of his chair and kneeling in front of John before he even finished speaking. "I thought Teyla wrapped your ribs!"

John nodded. "She did. Just moved wrong is all." He smirked at Rodney. "So all I have to do to get you to say my name is be in pain?"

Rodney feverently shook his head. "_NO!_" He realized he shouted and ducked his head. "That is," He stopped suddenly, obviously rethinking what he was about to say before continuing, "uh...no. You don't need to be in pain for me to say your name." Rodney raised his head to look John in the eye. "In fact, I'd prefer it if you were never in pain."

When John smiled, Rodney could feel his heart actually skip a beat. "I'll try not to get hurt, then."

Rodney hesitated only a moment before reaching for John's hands. "I was scared to _death_ when you said you were hit." One of his hands ghosted over the bandage on John's left arm. "That was an _insane_ thing you did, not to mention idiotic and completely unnecessary!"

---

Seeing the fit Rodney was working himself into, John squeezed the other man's hands. "Rodney, I'm okay. And you're wrong. If I hadn't gone after that Wraith, it would have had more time to work on the jumper."

"But Ford--"

"But nothing. We didn't know when help was coming or if it would get there before night fell. Rodney, I found a patch of snow in the shade of a rock. There is no way we would have survived without shelter."

Of course Rodney protested this. "The Wraith ship would have been good enough. There must be a sheltered room somewhere."

"And where do you think the Wraith would have gone when the sun went down? We would have been sitting ducks, Rodney." That John was the most battle-experienced of them went without saying.

Even Rodney couldn't argue with that logic. "No, I guess we would have been, you're right." The scientist then glared at John. "But did you ever think that maybe I didn't want to die alone? That maybe, just maybe, I might have wanted to say goodbye?" Though his eyes spoke of much more.

It was the look in Rodney's eyes that finally pushed John to move. Despite the looks and tender touches up to that point, he had no guarantee Rodney actually returned his feelings; at least, not until now he hadn't. The look Rodney was giving him could be no less than love, surely.

So with this in mind, John leaned forward slowly, in case he was wrong, and pressed his lips to Rodney's. At worst he expected a punch, at best perhaps a returning pressure on his lips. What he got was...

...nothing.

Heart heavy with disappointment, John pulled back. He was just about to make excuses when his head was grabbed between two large, yet gentle, hands and the lips, as tart as the citrus their owner was allergic to, smashed against his own. After a moment of surprise, John's hand reached out to glide along Rodney's cheek, moving back until he had a firm hold on the nape of the other man's neck.

The position was awkward for both men--Rodney because of the angle he had to hold his neck and John because of the stress on his ribs--so it was little surprise when John pulled back a short eternity later.

"Well," Rodney said as he licked his lips, hands still framing John's face. He gave John one of his crooked smiles. "That was..."

"Yeah." John smiled back at Rodney as his thumb stroked Rodney's cheek. "Why haven't we done this before?"

Rodney leaned into John's touch, eyes closing as he answered, "Because we are the epitome of stupid."

John licked his lips as he leaned towards Rodney again. "Works for me." And as his lips once more touched the ones belonging to the man he loved, John's only regret was that his injuries forbade them from getting too physical.

Thank god his hands weren't broken.


End file.
